


Next Time

by XtaticPearl



Series: Tumblr prompt works [6]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Getting to Know Each Other, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, MIT Era, Pranks and Practical Jokes, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-03
Updated: 2019-01-03
Packaged: 2019-10-03 16:10:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17287268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/XtaticPearl/pseuds/XtaticPearl
Summary: Tony doesn't know who James Rhodes is but the guy is his new roommate and apparently some people aren't happy about it.





	Next Time

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt : TonyRhodey: MIT era shenanigans. Maybe a prank war with a fraternity? Or total (and unexpected) mom friend tony

It was a widely known fact that the residents of Burton Conner and those of Baker House didn’t get along during the first week of every semester. It wasn’t something the parents of the brainworms growing up in those houses were made aware of but it was an in-house open secret. One of those golden rules that ensured sleep schedule planning and academia without fear of insanity. Well, more insanity than was common for college students. 

The shift of James Rhodes from Baker House to Conner disturbed the delicate balance of hostel politics and his new roommate was made aware of it by Rhodes in short terms. 

“I’m James, I know who you are, don’t respond if anyone from Baker House asks you anything for the next seven days,” Rhodes said once he had placed his bags in their space and Tony had time to blink before the boy had left the room to go - do his own thing, Tony supposed. 

Tony was well-versed in the conflicting maze of bullying and presumed that this would be one of those things. He was a fourteen-year-old in the midst of pre-adults who didn’t like him in the first place. He was sure that nobody would really want to talk to him about anything much, let alone ask him about his new roommate. 

A day into the warning period and Tony realized that he had calculated wrong. _Really_  wrong. 

He was cornered everywhere. Places he hadn’t known were usually populated by others began being populated by people who had apparently gotten over their disdain for the kid out to prove his father’s legacy with a ‘fake’ scholarship that everyone believed was just a large donation. Tony didn’t really care as long as they just left him alone to do his experiments but it was getting weird now. 

He managed to evade and escape subtle attempts for four days, trying not to ask for an explanation from Rhodes either, till he snapped on Day 5. 

“What,” he asked an Upperclassman, Davies something, when the guy blocked his way to the library.

“You’re with Jim, right?” Davies asked, a genial smile on his face that did nothing to ease Tony’s tiredness. 

“No,” Tony replied and sighed before correcting, “He’s my roommate, what do you want?”

“Could you deliver this to him?”

Tony stared at the envelope, marble-white and neatly closed, right in his face. He looked up at Davies and back at the envelope. His frustration and all-nighters were on his nerve but he bit back a curse. 

“If I do this will you all stop following me?” he asked bluntly and Davies made an innocent face. 

“I didn’t know people were following you, kid,” he said and Tony _hated_  it when they said it that way, “But sure, I’ll tell the other guys to back off. We just wanted to talk to Jimmy and he’s been busy, that’s all. You’ll do it, yeah?”

Tony weighed his options and extended his hand, silently taking the envelope before moving around the other guy, cramming the envelope in his hoodie’s pocket. 

He was sitting in class an hour later when he felt the first buzzing. Professor Farooq wasn’t the most easy-going though and he bit back the impulse to dig into his hoodie. It got intense as time passed and Tony didn’t let it show till there was a loud pop. 

He banged his elbow against the table to cover the sound and grit his teeth as his side hurt - motherfuc-

The second the class ended, he shot out of the hall and ran. He was aware that he should go check things out in the bathroom or go to the infirmary at the least but he was tired, embarrassed, hurt, and just done. 

The dorm room opened and he shut it behind him with a bang, clutching his side and sliding down the door with his eyes screwed shut. It was only when he heard the sound of a chair scraping the floor that he realized that Rhodes had been _in_  the room and he opened his eyes but the other boy was already rushing over to him. 

“What’s wrong?” Rhodes asked firmly and ignored Tony’s attempt at covering up, cautiously pulling his arms down, “Hey, hey, relax, you’re in shock. It’s alright, you’re safe, breathe. If you’re hurt then we can fix it, alright? Breathe.”

“Fuck off,” Tony bit out but Rhodes didn’t faze a bit, instead only quirking an impressed smirk. 

“Will do, tough guy, but first let me see what’s wrong,” Rhodes said calmly and Tony breathed in time to his, gradually moving his arm till Rhodes could get at his hoodie, “Here? What’s - fucking hell.”

Tony looked down and saw the burn mark on his hip, controlled because of the small use of explosive used but still visible. He dug his hand awkwardly into his hoodie pocket and dragged out the bits remaining of the envelope, letting it fall to the ground. 

“I’m not good at following orders,” he told Rhodes with a fake attempt at a smile but the other boy looked down at the burnt envelope for a second before he got up. 

“Yeah, I got that. Wait a second, let me get something,” Rhodes went to his table and dug around in the drawer till he got a tube of ointment before coming back, “C’mon, let’s get you cleaned up and put this thing on.”

“I thought we weren’t friends?” Tony asked tiredly and Rhodes caught his waist as he dragged him to his feet. 

“We’re gonna be now though,” Rhodes declared casually, shooting Tony a grin that was just a few shades down from Tony’s own brand of crazy, “I’m gonna need a partner in this new prank war, right? You’re smart, you can be it.”

“I’m dumb. I took your envelope. You suck a little too. I’m gonna call you Rhodey, not James,” Tony chuckled and Rhodes made a face but shrugged as they made their way to the bathroom. 

“Yeah, we gotta work on your intuition but we can do that,” the older boy said, sticking by his side as they made their way into the cleaning space, “Next time, you talk to me, alright?”

Tony looked at Rhodes and decided to take a chance on him. It paid off though, with every next time. There was always Rhodey. 


End file.
